Buddhism's KEY teaching: D.O.

I remember studying the doctrine of Dependent Origination (D.O.), hoping to determine a "first cause," a prime mover, the beginning of everything. Taken in an academic way, one might conclude that it all began with ignorance (avijja or avidya, "unknowing"). It made sense. IF everything is an illusion (maya), as Hinduism says, ignorance would be the first cause. Of course, it didn't really make sense but only remained academic.

Years later, speaking with someone who had attained the first stages of enlightenment (yes, such a thing is possible today), I of course asked what the breakthrough was: absorption (jhana), insight (vipassana), stillness (samadhi)?

I was baffled to be told that it was actually "the practice of Dependent Origination." I had to stop myself from saying, "But Dependent Origination is not a practice, just a theory of everything and how it all began..." I bit my tongue and instead asked, "How does one practice that?"

It goes back to what the wandering ascetic Siddhartha was doing in the forest that time. He pursued his great spiritual quest with the question, "Why do we suffer?" or "What is the cause of suffering so that we can end it?"

He was finally practicing the absorptions, or jhanas, which purified his mind until with "clear seeing," he asked, "What is the cause of present suffering (aging, decay, death)?"

He understood that it was rooted in rebirth, and he saw that rebirth is rooted in other things (becoming, clinging, craving, feeling, contact, senses, body-mind, consciousness, formations), back and back into past lives. And why were there formations? Ignorance is the answer. That having been, this came to be.

The ascetic Siddhartha traced it all the way back, seeing how things co-arise: With the arising of this, that arises. When this is not, that does not come to be. This is how he became the Buddha, "the Enlightened One."

I remembered how the Buddha had warned Ananda not to underestimate Dependent Origination. Ananda made the mistake of saying that he thought it was clear and obvious. "Do not say so, Ananda, do not say so." Dependent Origination is deep and profound and seems so to one who understands. It is on account of not seeing this that both he and all of us have wandered through samsara for so very long.

Dependent Origination is the vivid counterpart to the mind-bending doctrine of no-self (anatta). People necessarily misunderstand that doctrine -- according to their inclination, either as eternalism or annihilationism (both of which are wrong) -- because they have never understood Dependent Origination, which can be understood as a very general principle ("suchness") or a very specific practice.

"Practice, what practice?" I asked. See a proficient meditation master such as Pa Auk Sayadaw or any of his awakened student-teachers. Until it is put into practice, there will be no realization (liberating insight), no liberation (moksha), no enlightenment (bodhi), and no nirvana.

How the Buddha solved the mysterious riddle of life | His greatest teaching

(SEEKER TO SEEKER) The Buddha's greatest discovery, Dependent Origination (paticca-samuppada, aka conditioned cogenesis, conditional coarising, interdependent arising), reveals the profound mechanics of life, suffering (dukkha, disappointment), and liberation (moksha, nirvana).

This essential doctrine shows how all experiences arise from interdependent causes and conditions, unraveling the roots of our struggles and pointing to the path to ultimate freedom.

This video breaks down the 12 causal links of existence and their deep implications for our understanding of "self" and reality. #buddha #buddhism #philosophy #enlightenment #dharma #dhamma

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📚 Recommended reading ▶

• What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula Thero
• The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
• Foundations of Buddhism by Rupert Gethin. Free access to Early Buddhist scripture: dhammatalks.org/ebook_ind...
• accesstoinsight.org/index...
• Check out my favorite books at: seekertoseeker.com/seeker... 

⌛ TIMESTAMPS

• 02:56 The Buddha's insight into causality
• 06:00 The 12 links of Dependent Origination explained
• 08:57 The 4 kinds of clinging
• 24:07 Consciousness
• 34:05 The 4 Noble Truths
• 40:37 The 2 types of causality
• 44:49 Dependent Origination across 3 lives
• 45:19 The Buddha's original simile for Dependent Origination
• 48:53 Dependent Origination and non-self
• 51:00 Dependent Origination and karma (free will)
• 52:35 Dependent Origination and emptiness (shunyata)
• 54:39 Dependent Origination and the 3 Marks of Existence
• 55:30 Dependent Origination and ignorance
• 57:15 Dependent Origination and liberation (nirvana)
• 01:01:42 Transcendental Dependent Origination

📝 SCRIPT: Read the script of this video essay on the S2S website: seekertoseeker.com/depend...

• Video editing by Simeon & Sempiter; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddhist Path

Ven. Nyanatiloka (palikanon.com); Dhr. Seven, Eliza Darcey (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The "Path" (magga) in Buddhism can refer to the four supermundane paths (lokuttara-magga of the "noble ones" or ariya-puggala) or the Noble Eightfold Path (atthangika-magga) leading to the end of all suffering, the Middle Way described as the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. This ennobling (enlightenment-making) path is divided into three sections:

WISDOM (III)

• 1. Right view
• 2. Right intention or thought

VIRTUE (I)

• 3. Right speech
• 4. Right action
• 5. Right livelihood

CONCENTRATION (II)

• 6. Right effort
• 7. Right mindfulness
• 8. Right concentration

1. Right view or understanding (sammā-ditthi) is directly penetrating or understanding the Four Noble Truths with regard to the universality of:

1. unsatisfactoriness (disappointment, suffering, pain)
2. its origin in craving (or in greed, aversion, and delusion)
3. its cessation in nirvana 
4. the PATH leading to its cessation.

• See "The Discourse on Right View" (MN 9, translation and Commentary in "Right Understanding").

2. Right intention or thought: thoughts free of sensuous desire (letting go, renunciation), ill-will, cruelty.

3. Right speech (sammā-vācā): abstaining from perjury, tale-bearing, harsh speech, and foolish babble.

4. Right bodily action (sammā-kammanta): abstaining from taking the life of living beings, taking what is not given (stealing), and sexual misconduct (intercourse with the ten forbidden people).

• "Ten forbidden people"? There are ten types of person who are off limits, such as those dependent on others (family, community, etc.), married people, engaged people, promised people, those not permitted by law... Penetration with these constitute serious "sexual misconduct." Note that it is not one's own state but the state of the other person that figures more prominently. If that person is married, that person is off limits for me whether or not I'm married.

5. Right livelihood (sammā-ājīva): abstaining from a means of earning a living that brings harm to other beings, such as trading in weapons, in living beings, in intoxicants, in poisons; slaughtering, butchering, fishing, soldiering, deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, usury (charging interest on loans), and so on.

6. Right effort (sammā-vāyāma, see padhāna): the effort to avoid (unarisen) harmful and unwholesome things, the effort to overcome (arisen) ones; to develop wholesome things, to maintain (and bring them to full maturity).

 

7. Right mindfulness (sammā-sati): mindfulness and awareness in contemplating the four supports: body, feelings, mind, and mind-objects (see satipatthāna).
 

8. Right concentration (sammā-samādhi): coherence (and thereby purification) of heart/mind associated with wholesome (kusala) consciousness, which eventually may reach the meditative absorptions (jhānas).

COMMENTARY

Who sees the truth is freed by the truth.

NOTE: As with all of the other factors, two kinds of "concentration" are to be distinguished, the mundane (lokiya) and the supermundane (lokuttara). The second is associated with those states of consciousness known as the Four Supermundane Paths and Fruits (ariya-puggala).

 

 As the Buddha says in MN 117: "O meditators, I say to you there are two kinds of right view: the understanding that it is good to give alms and offerings, that both good and harmful actions will bear fruit and will be followed by karmic results.... This, O meditators, is a view which, though still subject to the defilements/cankers, is meritorious, yields worldly fruits, and brings about good results.

 

"But whatever there is of wisdom, of penetration, of right view conjoined with the Path -- the Path to enlightenment being pursued -- this is called 'supermundane right view,' which is not of the world, which is above the mundane and part of the Path."

 

In a similar way the remaining factors of the Path are to be understood. As many of those who have written about the Noble Eightfold Path have misunderstood its true nature, it is therefore appropriate to add here a few elucidating remarks about it.

 

This Path is fundamental for the understanding and practice of the Dharma, the Buddha's Teachings. First of all, the figurative expression "Path" should not be interpreted to mean that one advances step by step in the sequence of the enumeration until, after successively passing through all the eight stages, one finally may realize or reach one's destination, nirvana.

 

If this were the case, one should have first realized right view with penetration of the truth, even before one could hope to proceed to the next steps, right thought and right speech.

 

Each preceding stage would be the indispensable condition and foundation for each succeeding stage.

 

In reality, however, Links 3-5 -- constituting training in virtue (sīla) -- are the first three links cultivated. Thereafter come Links 6-8 -- constituting mental training (samādhi) -- and at last right view and so on -- constituting wisdom (paññā).

 

It is, however, true that a really unshakable and safe foundation for the Path is provided only by right view. For, starting from the tiniest glimmer of confidence and insight (faith and knowledge), gradually, step by step, develops into penetrating-insight (vipassanā) and so forms the immediate condition for entrance into the Four Supermundane Paths and Fruits of enlightenment for the direct realization of nirvana.

 

Only with regard to this highest form of supermundane insight may we indeed say that all of the remaining links of the Path are nothing but the outcome and the accompaniments of right view.

 

Regarding the mundane Noble Eightfold path, however, its links may arise without the first link, right view.

 

Here it must also be emphasized that the links of the Path not only DO NOT ARISE one after the other, as already said, they partly arise simultaneously as inseparable, associated mental factors in one and the same state of consciousness.

 

So, for instance, under all circumstances at least four links are inseparably bound up with any karmically wholesome consciousness, namely 2, 6, 7 and 8 -- that is, right thought, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (MN 117). This means that as soon as any one of these links arises, the three others do also.

 

On the other hand, right view is not necessarily present in every wholesome state of consciousness.

• Path (magga) is one of the 24 conditions (see paccaya 18)
• The Noble Eightfold Path and its Factors Explained, Ledi Sayadaw (BPS.lk, Wheel 245/247)
• The Buddha's Ancient Path, by Piyadassi Thera (BPS.lk)
• The Noble Eightfold Path, by Bhikkhu Bodhi (Wheel 308/311)

The Buddha's FIRST SUTRA

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly based on peculiar Peter Harvey translation of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra (SN 56.11) accesstoinsight.org

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: The setting IS seven weeks after the Buddha's enlightenment/awakening. He has traveled to his five former companions with whom he had previously practiced extreme asceticism (Vin i 8-10).

After trying extreme asceticism as a path to enlightenment, he found that it does not lead to awakening. So he abandoned the two extremes of indulgence (as a royal) and mortification (as an ascetic) for a moderate approach, a Middle Way, based on a healthy body and meditative absorptions (jhānas, calm and joyful altered states of consciousness based on samādhi or "mental unification").

The following is the first teaching he gave to anyone. In other contexts, the Buddha taught the Four True Realities for the Spiritually Ennobled Ones to people after first giving them a preparatory gradual discourse to ensure that they were in the right frame of mind/heart be able to fully benefit from the teaching, for example:

"Then the Blessed One gave the householder Upāli a step-by-step discourse, that is, a talk on giving, virtue, the heavenly worlds; he made known the danger, the inferior nature and tendency to defilement in sense-pleasures, and the advantage of letting them go. When the Blessed One knew that the householder Upāli's mind/heart was ready, open, without hindrances, inspired, and confident, then he expounded to him the elevated Dharma-teaching of the buddhas: pain/disappointment (dukkha), its origination, its cessation, and the path" (M i 379-80).

The Four True Realities taught by the Buddha are not things to "believe" as such but verifiable and liberating facts to be open to, see, contemplate, and respond to appropriately: by fully understanding dukkha/pain/the painful, abandoning what originates it, personally experiencing its complete cessation, and developing the path that leads to its cessation.

These Four True Realities are the fundamental dimensions of experience, as seen by a spiritually ennobled person with deep wisdom: the conditioned world, what originates it, the cessation/transcending of it (the unconditioned element nirvana), and the path. Indeed, it is by insight into these that a person becomes spiritually ennobled.

 

SUTRA: Turning the Wheel of the Dharma

The Buddha teaches the Five Wandering Ascetics until they gain enlightenment (Nomu420).

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra: "The Discourse on the Setting in Motion of the Wheel (or Vision) of the Basic Pattern: The Four True Realities of the Spiritually Ennobled Ones"

.

Mara: Don't bother teaching. They'll never understand.

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five ascetics: "Ascetics, these two extremes should not be followed by one who has gone forth (from the home-life into the left-home life).

"What two? They are the pursuit of sensual happiness in sense pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of ordinary folk, ignoble, not connected to the goal [of enlightenment and complete liberation, bodhi and nirvana] or the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, [the way of many struggling ascetics,] not connected to the goal.

"Ascetics, without veering toward either of these two extremes, the Awakened One has awakened to the Middle Way, which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, leads to peace, to higher-knowledge, to complete awakening, to nirvana.

 

"And what, ascetics, is that Middle Way awakened to by the Awakened One which gives rise to vision, gives rise to knowledge, leads to peace, to higher-knowledge, to complete awakening, to nirvana?

"It is this Noble Eight-Factored Path, that is:

1. right view
2. right intention
3. right speech
4. right action
5. right livelihood
6. right effort
7. right mindfulness
8. right mental unification.

"...Ascetics, this for noble ones (spiritually enlightened/ennobled ones) is the reality of what pain (dukkha) is:

• Birth is painful,
• aging is painful,
• illness is painful,
• death is painful;
• sorrow,
• lamentation,
• physical pain,
• unhappiness and distress are painful;
• union with the disliked is painful;
• separation from the liked is painful;
• not getting what one wants is painful;
• in brief, the Five Bundles of Grasping-Fuel are painful.

What rises is of a nature to fall away.

"Ascetics, this for noble ones is the reality of the origin-of-pain. It is craving (thirst, tanha) that leads to renewed becoming (incessant rebirth), accompanied by delight and clinging that seeks more delight now here now there, namely:

• craving for sense-pleasures
• craving for rebirth
• craving for annihilation (of what is disliked).

"Ascetics, this for noble ones is the reality of the end-of-pain. It is the remainderless fading away and cessation of craving [as brought about by liberating-insight], letting go, and relinquishing it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it.

 

"Ascetics, this for noble ones is the reality of the way leading to the complete cessation of pain. It is the Noble Eight-Factored Path, which is, right view...and right mental unification.

 

"'This for noble ones is the reality of pain' -- ascetics, with regard to things never heard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, higher-knowledge, and light.

 

"'This for noble ones is the reality of pain, this is to be fully understood' -- ascetics, with regard to things never heard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, higher-knowledge, and light.

 

"'This for noble ones is the reality of pain, this has been fully understood' -- ascetics, with regard to things never heard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, higher-knowledge, and light.

 

The oldest artifacts representing the Buddha in human form are from his native Afghanistan.

.

I get it! He didn't claim to be awake till he was sure.

"[Likewise,] ascetics, with regard to things never heard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, higher-knowledge, and light with regard to:

"'This for noble ones is the reality of the origin-of-pain, this is to be abandoned.' 'This for noble ones is the reality of the origin-of-pain -- this has been abandoned.'

 

"[Likewise,] ascetics, with regard to things never heard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, higher-knowledge, and light with regard to:

"'This for noble ones is the  reality of the ceasing-of-pain,' this is to be personally experienced.' 'This for noble ones is the reality of the ceasing-of-pain -- this has been personally experienced.'

 

"[Likewise,] ascetics, with regard to things never heard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, higher-knowledge, and light, with regard to:

"'This for noble ones is the reality that is the way leading to the cessation of pain,' this is to be developed. 'This for noble ones is the reality that is the way leading to the cessation of pain,' this has been developed.

In the Buddha's Words (Bhikkhu Bodhi)

"Ascetics, as long as my knowledge and vision of these four realities for noble ones, as they truly are in their three phases [each] with 12 modes [altogether], was not thoroughly purified in this way, then for so long -- in this world with its devas, māras, and brahmās, in this generation with its wandering ascetics (renunciants) and Brahmins (temple priests), its devas and humans -- I did not claim to be fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening.

"But when, ascetics, my knowledge and vision of these four realities for noble ones, as they truly are in their three phases and 12 modes was thoroughly purified in this way, then -- in this world with its devas, māras, and brahmās, in this generation with its wandering ascetics and Brahmins, its devas and humans -- I did claim to be fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening.

"Indeed, knowledge and vision arose in me: 'Unshakeable is the liberation of my mind/heart; this is my last rebirth: now there is no more renewed becoming (continued rebirth).'"

  

Reaction

This is what the Blessed One said and, elated, the group of five ascetics delighted in the Blessed One's words. And while this explanation was being spoken, there arose in Venerable Koṇḍañña the dust-free, stainless vision of the basic pattern: "Whatever is originated, all of that comes [by its intrinsic nature] to cessation."

Let the other devas know that finally a fully-enlightened teacher has awakened on earth!

 
And when the Wheel [of Vision] of the basic pattern [of things] had been set in motion by the Blessed One, the earth-dwelling devas raised a cry:

"At Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the unsurpassed Wheel [of Vision] of the Basic Pattern [of things] has been set in motion by the Blessed One, which cannot be stopped by any renunciant or Brahmin or māra or brahmā or by anyone in the world!"

The devas cried out. And a great arose.

Having heard the cry of the earth-dwelling devas, the devas of the Realm of the Four Great Kings raised the same cry. Having heard it, the Thirty-Three devas took it up, then the Yāma devas, then the Contented devas, then the devas Who Delight in Creating, then the devas with Mastery over the Creations of Others, and then the devas of the brahmā group.

Thus at that second, at that moment, at that instant the cry spread as far as the brahmā world, and this ten-thousandfold world-system shook, quaked, and trembled, and an immeasurably glorious radiance appeared in the world, surpassing the shining majesty of the devas.

 

The Buddha and Añña Koṇḍañña

Then the Blessed One voiced this inspired utterance: "Indeed, the honorable Koṇḍañña has understood! Indeed, the honorable Koṇḍañña has understood! In this way, Venerable Koṇḍañña acquired the name Koṇḍañña [the first disciple to become enlightened], which means "Who Understood."

• The first arhat and first monk, Añña Koṇḍañña
• Alternate translation by Ven. Ñanamoli 
• Alternate translation by Ven. Piyadassi
• Wiki quick version: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra

What was the Buddha? Awake! (sutra)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly translation of the Dona Sutra (AN 4.36) based on Ven. Thanissaro (Geoffrey DeGraff), abbot of Wat Metta

The Buddha reclining into final nirvana, Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda, Burma (Bas1953/flickr).

.

On one occasion the Blessed One was traveling on the road between Ukkattha and Setabya [in Kosala, near ancient Magadha].

The Buddha's feet (vanishingtattoo.com)

Dona the Brahmin was also traveling along the same road and saw in the Blessed One's footprints thousand-spoked wheels complete in all their features.

Seeing them, the thought occurred to Dona, "How amazing! How astonishing! These are not footprints of a human being!"

 

Then the Blessed One left the road and came to sit at the root of a tree -- legs crossed, body erect, mindfulness established in front of him. 

Wheels with 1,000 spokes (vanishingtattoo.com)

Dona followed the Blessed One's footprints and beheld him at the root of the tree inspiring confidence, with senses calmed, mind serene, secure in the utmost confidence and tranquility, tamed, with senses guarded, restrained, a great creature (naga 7).

• "Naga" means "a great being," such as an elephant or a great, magical dragon. Buddhists adopted the term as an epithet for the Buddha and his arhat (fully enlightened) disciples.

Seeing [the Buddha], Dona approached and said, "Master, are you a celestial (deva)?"

• Because Dona phrases this question in the future tense, it has led to a great deal of discussion as to what the entire dialogue means: Is he asking what the Buddha will be in a future life, or is he asking what he is now? The context of the discussion seems to demand the second alternative. Dona wants to know what kind of being has such amazing footprints. The Buddha's image of the lotus describes his present state, but the grammar of Dona's questions would seem to demand the first. A.K. Warder, in Introduction to Pali (p. 55), notes that the future tense is often used to express wonder, surprise, or perplexity about something in the present: "What might this be?" "What on earth is this?" This seems to be the sense of Dona's questions. Dona's earlier statement -- "These are not the footprints of a human being" -- is also phrased in the future tense. The mood of wonder extends throughout this conversation. It is also possible that the Buddha's answers, which are also phrased in the future tense, are a form of word-play. The Buddha may be using the future tense in both its meanings to refer both to his present and to his future state.

"No, Brahmin, I am not a celestial."

 

"Are you a messenger-angel (gandhabba)?"

 

"No..."

 

"Are you a nature guardian (yakkha)?"

• What is a yakkha? It is a class generally described as non-human beings (amanussā). They are mentioned with devas (shining ones, "angels"), rakkhasas (ogres, "demons"), dānavas (a name for the asuras, "titans," descendents of Danu), gandhabbas (messenger-angels, the lowest rank of celestials), kinnaras (avians, garudas, suparnas), and maho-ragas (royal bloodline nāgas, reptilians, or great creatures), for example in J.v.420. In other lists (e.g., PvA. 45, 55) they range immediately above the petas ("hungry ghosts"); in fact, some of the happier petas are called yakkhas. Elsewhere (e.g., A.ii.38) they rank, in progressive order, between human (manussā) and messenger-angel (gandhabbā). They are of many different kinds: spirits, ogres, dryads, ghosts, spooks. In early records, yakkha, like nāgā, is an appellative and is anything but depreciative; it is a compliment. Therefore, not only is Sakka, King of the Gods (Devas in two space worlds immediately above the human plane), so referred to (M.i.252; J.iv.4; DA.i.264), but even the Buddha is spoken of as a yakkha in poetic diction (M.i.386). Many gods (devas), such as Kakudha, are so addressed (S.i.54).

"No..."

 

"Are you a human being?" 

• See Human beings in Buddhism

"No, Brahmin, I am not a human being."

• The Buddha not identifying himself as a human being relates to a point made throughout the Pali canon: An awakened/enlightened person cannot be defined in any way at all. On this point, see MN 72, SN 22.85, SN 22.86, and the article, "A Verb for Nirvana." Because a mind beset by clinging is "located" by its clinging, an fully awakened person takes no place in any world. This is why such a person is unsmeared by the world or sphere (loka) like the lotus unsmeared by muddy water. 

The Buddha's golden skin (MarmaladeToast)

"When asked, 'Are you a celestial?' you answer, 'No...' When asked, 'Are you a messenger-angel?' you answer, 'No...' When asked, 'Are you a nature guardian?' you answer, 'No...' When asked, 'Are you a human being?' you answer, 'No, Brahmin, I am not a human being.' Well then what sort of being are you?"

 

"Brahmin, the defilements by which -- if they were not abandoned -- I would be a celestial, those defilements are abandoned by me, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions for development, not destined for future arising.

"The defilements by which -- if they were not abandoned -- I would be a messenger-angel... a nature guardian... a human being, those are abandoned by me, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions for development, not destined for future arising.

 

Mahayana in Malaysia (focusandsnap)

"Just like a red, blue, or white lotus -- born in [muddy] water, grown up in water, rising above water -- stands unsmeared by water, I, in the same way -- although born in the world and grown up in the world, have overcome the world and live unsmeared by the world. Remember me, Brahmin, as 'awakened.'

 

"The defilements by which I would go to a celestial state, or become a messenger-angel in heaven (space or the sky), or go to a nature guardian or human state, those have been uprooted by me, topped off, their stems removed. Like a blue lotus, rising unsmeared by water, unsmeared am I by the world. So, Brahmin, I am awake."

The First Sutra (Turning the Dharma Wheel)

Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Dhammacakkapavattana Sutra (SN LVI.11, Budsas.org/ebud)

Gold Buddha in Sarnath, India near Varanasi/Benares (chandrasekaran a flickr.com)

Theravada monks visit Sarnath stupa, Uttar Pradesh, India (Stefaan & Eric/flickr)

 

Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dharma

The Buddha teaches the Five Ascetics

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Varanasi in the Deer Park at Resort of the Seers (Isipatana, Sarnath). There the Blessed One addressed the five ascetics:

"Meditators, these two extremes should not be followed by one who has [renounced and] gone forth into homelessness. What two? The pursuit of sensual delight in sensual pleasures, which is low, vulgar, the way of worldlings, ignoble, unbeneficial, and the pursuit of self-mortification, which is painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial. Without veering towards either of these extremes, the Wayfarer (Tathagata, i.e., the Buddha) has awakened to the Middle Way, which gives rise to direct vision, which gives rise to knowledge [knowing and seeing], which leads to peace, to wisdom, to enlightenment, to nirvana.

"And what, meditators, is that Middle Way awakened to by the Wayfarer, which gives rise to vision... which leads to nirvana? It is this Noble Eightfold Path, that is: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This, meditators, is that Middle Way awakened to by the Wayfarer, which gives rise to vision, which gives rise to knowledge, which leads to peace, to wisdom, to enlightenment, to nirvana.

The unseen devas are also eager to learn.

"Now this, meditators, is the noble truth of suffering (unsatisfactoriness, disappointment, dissatisfaction, distress, lack of fulfillment): Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the Five Aggregates of Clinging are suffering.

"Now this, meditators, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering (disappointment): It is this craving [rooted in ignorance, delusion, wrong view, greed, and aversion] which leads to re-becoming, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking satisfaction here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for continued becoming [everlasting existence], craving for annihilation.

Devotees at Sarnath stupa (Stefaan & Eric/flickr)

"Now this, meditators, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: It is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that very craving, the letting go and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it.

"Now this, meditators, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: It is this very Noble Eightfold Path, that is, right view...right concentration.

"'This is the noble truth of suffering': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, direct experience, and light.

"'This noble truth of suffering is to be fully understood': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

"'This noble truth of suffering has been fully understood': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

"'This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, direct experience, and light.

"'This noble truth of the origin of suffering is to be abandoned': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

"'This noble truth of the origin of suffering has been abandoned': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

Dharma wheel (hmhalff/flickr.com)

"'This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, direct experience, and light.

"'This noble truth of the cessation of suffering is to be realized': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

"'This noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

"'This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, direct experience, and light.

"'This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering is to be developed': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision...and light.

"'This noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering has been developed': thus, meditators, in regard to things unheard before, there arose in me vision, knowledge, wisdom, direct experience, and light.

"So long, meditators, as my knowledge and vision of these Four Noble Truths as they really are in their three phases and 12 aspects was not thoroughly purified in this way, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its ascetics and Brahmins, its [earthly] devas and humans.

• NOTE: The "three phases" (ti-pariva) are: (i) the knowledge of each truth (sacca-nana), for example, "This is the noble truth of suffering"; (ii) the knowledge of the task to be accomplished regarding each truth (kicca-nana), for example, "This noble truth of suffering is to be fully understood"; and (iii) the knowledge of accomplishment regarding each truth (kata-nana), for example, "This noble truth of suffering has been fully understood." The "12 modes" (dvadasakara) are obtained by applying the three phases to the Four Noble Truths.

"But when my knowledge and vision of these Four Noble Truths as they really are in their three phases and 12 aspects was thoroughly purified in this way, then I claimed to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its ascetics and Brahmins, its [earthly] devas and humans.

"The knowledge and the vision arose in me: 'Unshakeable is this liberation of mind/heart. This is my last birth. Now there is no more re-becoming."

This is what the Blessed One said. Being pleased, the group of five ascetics delighted in the Blessed One's words. And while this sutra was being spoken, there arose in Kondanna the dust-free, stainless vision of the Dharma: "Whatever is subject to origination is also subject to cessation."

Word gets around

And when the Wheel of the Dharma had been set in motion by the Blessed One, the Earth devas shouted: "At Varanasi, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, this unsurpassed Wheel of the Dharma has been set in motion by the Blessed One, which cannot be stopped by any ascetic or Brahmin or deva or Mara or Brahma or by anyone in the world!" Having heard the shout of the Earth devas, the devas of the realm of the Four Great Sky Kings shouted: "At Varanasi...this unsurpassed Wheel of the Dharma has been set in motion by the Blessed One, which cannot be stopped...by anyone in the world." 

Having heard the cry of the devas of the realm of the Four Great Kings, the devas of the realm of the Thirty-Three...the Yama devas... the Contented devas... the devas Delighting in Creation... the devas Delighting in the Creations of Others... the devas of Brahma's company raised a cry: "At Varanasi, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, this unsurpassed Wheel of the Dharma has been set in motion by the Blessed One, which cannot be stopped by any ascetic or Brahmin or deva or Mara or Brahma or by anyone in the world."

So at that moment, at that instant, at that second, the shout spread as far as the Brahma-world, and this ten thousandfold world-system shook, quaked, and trembled, and an immeasurable glorious radiance appeared in the world surpassing the divine majesty of the devas [the "shining ones"].

Then the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance: "Kondanna has indeed understood! Kondanna has indeed understood!" In this way Kondanna acquired the name "Anna Kondanna -- Kondanna Who Has Understood."

The World Rulers (Buddhist "chakravartins")

Seth Auberon, Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; G.P. Malalasekera; John Kelly

Asia 200 BC showing outlines of "great footholds of clans" (maha-janapadas) and empires (consolidated lands), like the Greco-Bactria Kingdom in Indo-Greek Afghan Gandhara.

Afghan (Gandharan) Buddhist monks with Greek King Menander (Milinda), Bactria (WHP)

 

Chakra at center of Indian flag

The special name given in Buddhist texts to a world ruler or monarch is cakka-vatti. It means "Turner of the Wheel," the Wheel (cakka, chakra) being the well known Indian symbol of empire. 

More than 1,000 sons are his; his dominions extend throughout the Earth to its ocean bounds (sāgarapariyantam) [a reference either to space and the planet in the Milky Way ocean or to the subcontinent of India bounded by seas]; and [the ruler's empire] is established not by the scourge nor by the sword, but by righteousness...

 

...When the world monarch is about to die, the Wheel slips down from its place and sinks down slightly. When the king sees this he leaves the household life, and retires into homelessness, to taste the joys of contemplation [meditation], having handed over the kingdom to his eldest son. At the king's death, the Elephant, the Horse and the Gem return to where they came from, the Woman loses her beauty, the Treasurer his divine vision, and the Adviser his efficiency (DA.ii.635).

 

Golden Buddha (Boddo) coin (miami.edu)

The world monarchs (cakka-vattis) are rare in the world, born in ages/aeons (kalpas) in which buddhas do not arise (SA.iii.131).

The Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta gives the names of seven who succeeded one another. In the case of each of them, the Wheel (cakka, chakra) disappeared. But when his successor practiced the noble (ariyan) duty of a world monarch, honoring the Dharma and following it to perfection, the Wheel reappeared.

In the case of the seventh, his virtues gradually disappeared through forgetfulness; crime spread among his subjects, and the Wheel vanished forever. More

King Milinda questions Ven. Nagasena

John Kelly (trans.) Milindapañha or "Questions of King Milinda" (excerpts)

The metallic Milinda/Menander I coin

The Milinda-pañha, the 18th book of the Khuddaka Nikaya (Burmese version of the Pali canon), consists of seven parts (see further on).

The conclusion states that it contains 262 questions, but the editions available today only contain 236. Although not included as a canonical text in the traditions of all the Theravada countries, this work is much revered throughout and is one of the most popular and authoritative Buddhist works in Pali [a uniquely Buddhist language very similar to Sanskrit].
 
Composed around the beginning of the common era and of unknown authorship, it is set up as a compilation of questions posed by King Milinda [Greek King Menander I] to a revered senior monk named Ven. Nagasena.

Nagasena answers the king's many questions

Milinda is identified by scholars with considerable confidence as the Greek King Menander of Bactria, a dominion founded by Alexander the Great.

The area corresponds with much of present day Afghanistan. King Menander's realm would have included Gandhara, where Buddhism was flourishing at that time.
 
What is most interesting about the Milindapañha is that it is the product of the encounter of two great civilizations -- Hellenistic Greece and Buddhist India [which in ancient times included all of modern Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan, which is what Gandhara was]. So it is of continuing relevance as the Wisdom of the East meets the modern Western world.

• [NOTE: It is more likely that Buddhism co-arose in Afghanistan because the Buddha was from there. The evidence for this is more archeological than anything. Afghanistan contains the earliest anthropomorphic depictions of the Buddha, the largest Buddha figures, the richest and most massive temple complexes, such as the incomprehensible finds at 2,600-year-old Mes Aynak near the modern capital of Kabul. Buddhism is currently thought to be 2,600-years old. Is it reasonable to believe that the first year the Buddha began teaching in India, someone thought to found a massive temple with monastic residences?]

King Milinda poses questions about dilemmas raised by Buddhist philosophy that we might well ask today. And Ven. Nagasena's responses are full of wisdom, wit, and helpful analogies. More

• Other translations from I.B. Horner and Andrew Olendzki